Tucson, Arizona 1972

Oct 27, 2005

Another audience, another waste of space? Or does it contain (hidden) gems?
Design
The cover is made up of one picture presented 4 times in slightly different colors. There are no liner notes. The back flap of the empty booklet contains four pictures of Elvis on stage, so does the back cover. Nothing new, we've seen them before.
Content
This CD contains an audience recording from Tucson, November 9, 1972 (8:30 PM show) recorded at the Community C Arena in Tucson, Arizona, just a few months after the show on the recent Follow That Dream release "Summer Festival" (August 11, 1972).
O.K. producers have to make a choice between being complete and presenting audio... the producers of this CD made the wrong one. If the first sound on the CD you play is the sound of a damaged tape running at the wrong speed you jump out of your listening chair, but not out of joy. Fortunately the sound improves very much real soon, giving us a late 1972 show in good audience quality with little speed problems, guess it is something we have to settle for...
The opening is standard and after good performances of "Until It's Time To Go", "You Don't Have Say You Love Me" and "You Gave Me A Mountain" we get a raw version of "Polk Salad Annie" with a great solo from Jerry. What a difference a few years make... even a showstopper like this one sound so much better in this phase of Elvis' live career.
Elvis catches his breath on a few ballads and whenever Elvis says he is hoping to do all the songs the fans want to hear someone shouts "Blue Christmas". But they get "Love Me". Through "All Shook Up" we go to the "Heartbreak Hotel", a favorite of the crowd listening to the reactions. On his "Blue Suede Shoes" Elvis delivers a few ballads. "One Night" is a song we prefer in a studio version or from the Comeback Special.
"Little Sister" comes in the standard medley with the Beatles' "Get back", if Elvis only had recorded this in the studio, it would have been a great track. The only gospel on this set list is "How Great Thou Art" and it sounds great, no silly jokes or reprises just Elvis singing his heart out, how great he is. With the crowd on their feet he goes into "Suspicious Minds" and the crowd goes wild. Due to the recording the orchestra can't be heart that well, giving more room to the band sound wise.
After some quick introductions Elvis cools down with "For The Good Times" before giving room to Glenn D. Hardin on piano on "A Big Hunk O' Love". The audience joins in clapping on "Fever". The show ends with a not to interesting version of "I Can't Stop Loving You", a good "Johnny B Goode" with James playing his Fender guitar with fire, and a little too fast for our man. And finally "Can't Help Falling In Love" and the closing vamp.
This CD holds one hidden track, a live version of “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy” and it sound great, not a soundboard and not a version we can date immediately, but it is the best sounding track and performance on the album.
Conclusion
The show is a pleasant one to listen to, the tape is o.k.. But since there is nothing too special on this CD we'll probably won't pick it up again, we'll get the FTD release "Summer Festival" which only has a few differences from this set list.
The track listing:
2001 Theme / C. C. Rider / I Got A Woman / Until It's Time For You To Go / You Don't Have To Say You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / Polk Salad Annie / Love Me / All Shook Up / Heartbreak Hotel / Blue Suede Shoes / The Wonder Of You / Love Me Tender / One Night / Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel / Little Sister - Get Back / Hound Dog / I'll Remember You / How Great Thou Art / Suspicious Minds / Introductions / For The Good Times / A Big Hunk O' Love / Fever / I Can't Stop Loving You / Johnny B. Goode / Can't Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp.
Hidden track: “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy” live.